Sprucing up a yard for $100 or less

As summer temperatures lure us out into our yards, it's hard not to notice all those landscaping tasks we let languish all spring. When hiring a gardener is not in the budget, or when there is no gardening budget at all, here are some simple and inexpensive tasks garden experts recommend.

Michael Podlesny, president of Mike the Gardener Enterprises, says hay is a great mulch for your vegetable garden. "A $5 bale of hay works wonders for the way the vegetable garden looks," he says. "Put this down and it not
only makes the garden look nicer but also serves a great purpose to keep weeds to a minimum and holds in moisture."

Susan Palmquist, author of The Budget Smart Girl's Guide to the Universe, says use a new layer of mulch to spruce up your garden. "You can sometimes buy a 3 cubic foot bag for just $2," she says, "and it makes the garden look new again."